Sports
Culver City All-Stars Out of District Playoffs
The 11-12 Little League baseball squad is eliminated after a 9-6 loss to Ladera.
After staving off elimination several times, the Culver City 11-12 all-star team had become accustomed to playing under pressure heading into Thursday's loser's bracket finale against Ladera.
Each team had lost to West Los Angeles in the winner's bracket and wanted another crack at that team by reaching the championship series. Only Ladera, however, will get that chance.
Ladera rallied from a 6-0 deficit to beat Culver City 9-6 at Bill Botts Field, knocking Culver City out of the double-elimination tournament.
Find out what's happening in Culver Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Michael Netzel started on the mound for Culver City and after allowing a lead-off single he retired the next three batters. Culver City got on the board first in the bottom of the second. Mason Mulvihill drew a one-out walk and wound up at third base after two wild pitches. Marcus Brown singled to score Mulvihill and Ryan Weiner singled to score Jason Zeidman.
Michael Netzel singled to score Brown and Nolan Martinez walked to load the bases. Nicholas Tuanchaen drew a walk to force home Weiner for a 4-0 Culver City lead.
Find out what's happening in Culver Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Ladera threatened to score in the top of the third but Daniel Aceves and Weiner turned a 4-6-3 double play and a ground out ended the threat.
Mulvihill walked leading off the bottom of the third inning, Aceves was hit by a pitch and Eli Saucedo singled to center. Pinch-hitter Nico Gonzalez hit an infield single and Aceves scored on a ground out to shortstop. Then Saucedo alertly scooted home on a wild pitch and Culver City led 6-0.
Ladera's offense finally got on track in the fourth as a lead-off double, a walk and an error produced the visitors' first run. Tuanchaen came in to pitch, Nolan Martinez replaced him at third base and Netzel took over for Martinez at first base.
An RBI single cut Culver City's lead to 6-2, Tuanchaen got a strikeout, but another RBI single and a wild pitch made it 6-4. Ladera added two more runs to tie the game 6-6 before the inning ended on a pop-up to Weiner at shortstop.
Ladera took a 9-6 lead in the top of the fifth on three RBI hits.
Martinez walked to begin the bottom of the sixth inning, but a strikeout, a fly out and a ground out to second ended the game.
Since its first loss to West LA on June 29, Culver City had blanked Santa Monica East 16-0 and beaten North Venice 7-3 to advance to Thursday's meeting with Ladera.
